I have a snapshot of a figurine on a rock in the garden with the rising sun. The figurine is almost obliterated when it is clothed with light as the sun rises behind it. In the snapshot, you cannot see how the figurine is dressed when it is covered with the light of the sun.
It reminds me of why clothing was important when God set up his kingdom in the time of Moses and the Lord made sure his people got the message. His instructions included, ‘neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.’ Leviticus 19:19 and Deuteronomy 22:11.
They were not to wear a covering woven with two different kinds of thread. It was an instruction given to his people as an object lesson to help them understand how easy it is to make good works more important than the sacrifice Jesus would offer as a covering for our sinfulness.
Do you remember the guest who came to the wedding not wearing the proper garment? It is the parallel of Adam and Eve coming into the presence of God wearing their own good workmanship to cover their sin of putting another’s advice above God’s.
Jesus further explained it in the story of the prodigal son when the father stripped his son of his filthy clothes and put his own robe on him.
He deals with it even more directly in the Sermon on the Mount, when very good people come to him to enter the kingdom of heaven claiming they have prophesied, cast of devils, and ‘in thy name done many wonderful works.‘ If good works got anyone into heaven, these people would be at the top of our list.
Then Jesus then says to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity,’ and we are left wondering ‘if they did not enter into the Kingdom, what hope is there for the rest of us?’ (Matthew 7:21-23.)
It is a story that offends good living, ethical atheists and confuses many worthy people. What all these illustrations and histories tell us is that God does not receive us if we come to him wearing the blood of the Saviour mixed with our own good works.
The only covering for sin in the Garden of Eden was the covering provided by God through the death of a sacrifice and our only covering for sin is the covering provided by the death of Jesus.
You cannot buy it, you can only accept it as the gift of God.
‘For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.’ Galatians 3:27.
Elizabeth Price